
Philadelphia is now officially a ‘Certified Welcoming’ city. Here’s what it means for immigrant communities.
The designation honors cities which have demonstrated high levels of immigrant inclusion and support. Peter Gonzales, who is of counsel to the firm, hopes that the honor sparks collaboration across the city.

Practice Management in 2023 with Jonathan Grode, Esq.
On this episode of the Immigration Lawyers Toolbox, hear from special guest, Jonathan Grode. He talks about how to prepare for a visa interview and more.

Tech Layoffs in U.S. Send Foreign Workers Scrambling to Find New Jobs
Workers on visas, many of them waiting years for green cards, now face having to leave the country unless they get hired within 60 days. Jonathan Grode, Practice Director and Managing Partner of Green and Spiegel, U.S., explains that to stay in the United States, they must find a company willing to shoulder the costs of renewing their H-1B visa, and pay fees associated with their green card applications, if they are in process, which are employment-based.

Star’s Visa Is Rare Win for Foreign Athletes Banking on Likeness
Hansel Enmanuel, a Dominican guard on Northwestern State University’s men’s basketball team, has yet to play his first NCAA game, but he’s already scored a work visa allowing him to sign endorsement deals in the seven figures. Enmanuel, who was recruited by several Division-I schools despite having one arm, may be the first international college athlete to secure a temporary work visa allowing him to take advantage of new NCAA rules allowing college players to profit from name, image, and likeness (NIL). Ksenia Maiorova, Partner at Green and Spiegel, U.S. weighs in.
AILA Litigation Spotlight: Amy Maldonado and Ksenia Maiorova Successfully Challenge EB-1 Denial in Federal Court
AILA members Amy Maldonado and Ksenia Maiorova, together with Green and Spiegel, LLC, were victorious in overturning the denial of an EB-1 denial through the litigation in Lonergan et al. v. Jaddou (2:22-CV-02169-ES) in the District of New Jersey. Read a Q&A with the litigators.
AILA Doc. No. 22100751

Honoring the Spirit of America: A Conversation about Immigration, Featuring Jonathan Grode
A common refrain is that the U.S. is a nation of immigrants—that the spirit of America directly stems from the fact that most Americans have ancestors who are immigrants. We’re called a melting pot, where people come to achieve the “American Dream,” to settle their families, to work and start their businesses. Nearly half of Fortune 500 companies were started by immigrants or their children, including nearly two-thirds of U.S. “unicorns” (billion-dollar companies).
However, in the United States today, foreign entrepreneurs seeking to work or start businesses are left without a viable path to do so, and bringing manufacturing back to the U.S. is problematic in today’s challenging economy because securing foreign-born low and unskilled workers is so difficult. At the same time, many Americans express concern over the impact of immigration on the domestic labor market. The current immigration system is also problematic from an efficiency standpoint, as wait times for legal immigration grow longer year by year.

How Scientology Exploits Foreign Workers
The church has used an obscure visa to bring in thousands of laborers — and benefit from their toil. David Spaulding of Green & Spiegel U.S., who spent 23 years as an Immigration officer overseeing investigations for a branch of the Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, weighs in.
Pa. Judge Says USCIS Must Redo Spousal Petition After Delay
A Pennsylvania judge ordered U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to reconsider Olando Espinal’s petition for his Turkish wife’s green card, saying the agency’s unreasonable delay in denying the petition unfairly hampered the couple’s ability to address the agency’s concerns. Katelyn Hufe Karahan of Green & Spiegel U.S., who represents the family, told Law360 on Thursday that her clients are thrilled that they may finally be able to receive their green cards and live in the U.S. together after nearly 12 years.

College Sports Stakeholders Launch Campaign for International Athlete NIL Rights
More than 20,000 international NCAA athletes are largely left out of an estimated billion-dollar NIL industry. A coalition of advocates led by NOCAP Sports’ Casey Floyd have launched a campaign to change restrictive immigration laws.

David Spaulding’s Immigration Practice Areas
Discover which U.S. Immigration Services David can assist with, including Business Immigration, Investment-Based Immigration, Family-Based Immigration, Corporate Compliance, Customs, and Import & Export.